Machine for color coating strands



Jan. 19, 1965 v. P. RYLKA MACHINE FOR COLOR comma STRANDS Filed May 8,1962 INVENTOR. VINCENT RYLKA BY ww ATTORNE YS United. States Patent3,166,441 MACHINE FQR CGLQR CUATHQG STRANB'S Vincent P. Ryllra, Nixon,NJL, assignor to Triangle Conduit & Cable Co, inc, New Brunswick, N1, acorporation of Delaware Filed May 8, W62, Ser. No. 193,181 3 tliainis.(til. 118-325) This invention relates to machines for applying differentcolor coatings to successive lengths of a strand'of any strandedmaterial adapted to receive a color coating regardless of itscross-sectional shape, as for example more specifically the insulatedelectrical conductors.

The purpose ofthis invention is to provide a machine in which any one ofa number of different color coatings can be selectively applied tosuccessive lengths of a strand with a minimum of color contaminationbetween successive color applications.

The various detailed objects of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of the single embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In that drawing there is illustrated the machine of this invention.

As will be apparent to those skilled in this art the machine of thisinvention may be used to apply color coatings to various kinds ofstrands. For the purpose of illustrative disclosure it will be assumedthat the machine as disclosed is particularly adapted to applying colorcoatings to insulated electrical conductors. Such conductors, of course,consist of one or more copper wires individually or collectivelyenclosed within an insulating casing such as for example a jacket of aspecific material.

As is well known in the electrical art, it is common to apply differentcolor coatings to insulated electrical conductors for a number ofpurposes, but particularly for the purpose of color coding wires. As isthe usual case, coils or spools of insulated conductors are mounted in amachine so as to be fed lengthwise from a supply point to a take-uppoint. At some intermediate point in the path of travel a color coatingmachine is employed to form a continuous layer of color to the wire.Insulated electrical conductors for coding purposes are coated with awide variety of colors, each applied of course in a single continuouslayer of a single color. The coating machines heretofore used aftercompleting a run of one color are normally shut down and thoroughlycleaned in preparation for the application of another color. This, ofcourse, means an undesirable long period of down time during colorchanges which are sometimes frequent.

The general purpose of this invention is to provide a machine in whichany one of a number of different colors maybe successively applied to acontinuously running wire with very little contamination at the pointsof color change. The important feature is that the machine is notstopped at all but the color selection and application is effected atwill.

The form of the machine illustrated in the drawing includes forillustrative purposes an arrangement in which any one of three differentcolors can be selectively and successively applied. For this purposethere are shown three color coating containers 10, 16 and 20. Thesecontainers and associated equipment are exactly alike and so thearrangement will be detailed in connection with the container in which aquantity of coating fluid CF is held. Mounted in the bottom of thecontainer 10 is any suitable form of submerged pump having a color fluiddischarge pipe 40. The pump being submerged will of course withdraw thefluid directly through an inlet port, not shown. As illustrated thispump is driven by an air motor 12, supported above the top of the ice,

2 container and directly connected to the rotor of the pump 14 in anobvious manner. v p

The color fluid supply pipe 40 is directly connected through a checkvalve 42 to a manifold 44 which consists 'of nothing more than a shortlength of pipe capped at.

both ends. Connected to the manifold 44 is an applicator 46 by means ofwhich the color fluid is sprayed upon the wire W, which is traveling inthe direction of its length from a supply spool, not shown, to a take-upspool, not shown. Supported under the applicator 46 and the wire at thispoint, is a tray 48, in which the excess color fluid CF is collected. Atthis point it may be noted, as is known in the art, the applicatorassembly may include a wiping mechanism by means of which the excessfluid flowing onto the wire is removed and returned to the tray 48. 2' iIn a similar way the outlet of the pump for container 16 is connected bythe pipe 56 to the manifold 44 through the check valve 58 and the outletfor the container 20 is connected by the pipe 62 through the check valve64 to the manifold 44. The pumps, not shown, in .the containers 16 and20 are driven respectively through air motors 18 and 22.

The tray 48 is provided with a return line 50 which connects to aselector valve 52, having three outlet ports. These ports arerespectively connected by means of the drain lines 54, 69 and 66 whichdischarge back into the respective containers 1t), 16 and 20.

Operating compressed air for the pumps is supplied from any suitablesource through the supply line 26 to the intake port of a selector valve24. Line 26 includes the usual moisture trap 28, filter 30 and pressuregauge 32. The valve is provided with three outlet ports which arerespectively connected to the air motors 12, 18 and 22 by the compressedair supply lines 34, 36 and 38.

The rotors of the valves 24 and 52 are connected by a common shaft 68 onwhich is mounted an operating handwheel 70.

With regard to the various components of this equipment it is noted thatthere is no novelty in any of them per se. Each of these components isavailable commercially from many sources and in various specificallydifferent forms. For example the valves 24 and 52 are simply valves bymeans of which the inlet connections, as for example connection for pipe50 in the case of valve 52 and the connection 26 in the case of valve24, can be selectively connected to any one of the output connections ofthese valves. In the case of valve 52 the output connections includerespectively the drain pipes 54, 6t) and 66. In the case of valve 24 theoutlet connections include specifically the compressed air supplyconnections 34, 36 and 38.

While it should be apparent how the system works from the abovedescription it may also be helpful to briefly explain its operation.

When the machine is working the wire W is moving continuously in thedirection of its length, preferably at a uniform linear speed. If it isdesired to apply a coating of a color in a container 10, the handwheel70 is rotated so as to position the valves 24 and 52 so that compressedair is supplied to the motor 12, causing the pump ,74 to operate, and atthe same time the valve 52 is positioned so that the common drain line50 is connected to the individual drain line 54. The handwheel 60 can beprovided with a pointer cooperating with a scale, not shown, to indicatethis position. It follows, therefore, that the pump 14 forces thecolored coating up through the line 40 and check valve 42 into themanifold 44. From there the coating flows to and from the applicator 46so as to flood the wire as it passes underneath its discharge end. Theexcess coating which collects in the tray 48 runs back by gravitythrough valves 3 50 and 52 and back through drain line 54 into thecontainer 10.

When it is desired to select another coating color the handwheel 7 isrotated to the position to cause the valve 52 to connect the main drainline 50 With one or the other of the individual drain lines 69 and 66.At the same time the valve 24 is correspondingly set so as to supplycompressed air to the related motor 18 or 22. There will be a shortperiod of contamination of the desired colors with the last used coloruntil the small amount of coating in the manifold 44 and applicator 46is cleared out. In practice this can be limited to the extent that onlya short length of Wire is given a contaminated color comprising amixture of the two. It is of course the second color which will forcethe previous color in the column with the applicator ahead of it so thatonly contamination will result from the admixture of the new color withthe old color collected in the manifold 44. It is apparent, of course,that the check valves 42, S8 and 64 are provided so that no color willbe forceddown into the supply lines for the other two colors.

It is noted that the handwheel 70 provides a common control for both ofthe selector valves 52 and 24. This is a practical convenience doingaway with the necessity of individually controlling the valves andsynchronizing them.

It Will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of changesin the details of the invention comprising the new combination hereindisclosed can be effected without departing from the spirit and natureof this invention. For example, the motors 12, 18 and 22 could beelectric motors and the selector valve 24 could be a switch,synchronized with the valve 52 just as the valve 24 is synchronized withit. It is desired, therefore, that the scope of this invention bedetermined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A strand coating machine comprising applicator means for applying afluid to a strand moving lengthwise, a tray positioned to collect excesscoating fluid from said applicating means, a plurality of containers forfluid coatings of different colors, color fluid supply piping betweensaid respective containers and said applicator means, color fluid returnpiping between said tray and containers, power operated means forforcing the respective fluid coatings through said supply piping, aselector valve in said return piping for selectively connecting saidtray to said containers to return the respective fluids from said trayto said containers from which they were supplied, and selector means forselectively energizing said power operated means.

2. In the combination of claim 1, common means for operating saidselector valve and selector means simultaneously in synchronism.

3. In the combination of claim 1 said power operated means comprisingpumps individually submerged in the contents of each of said containersand motors for independently operating said pumps.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,322 3/18Doellinger 1l824 X 2,726,631 12/55 Rutherford 178-325 X RICHARD D.NEVIUS, Primary Examiner.

1. A STRAND COATING MACHINE COMPRISING APPLICATOR MEANS FOR APPLYING AFLUID TO A STRAND MOVING LENGTHWISE, A TRAY POSITIONED TO COLLECT EXCESSCOATING FLUID FROM SAID APPLICATING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF CONTAINERS FORFLUID COATINGS OF DIFFERENT COLORS, COLOR FLUID SUPPLY PIPING BETWEENSAID RESPECTIVE CONTAINERS AND SAID APPLICATOR MEANS, COLOR FLUID RETURNPIPING BETWEEN SAID TRAY AND CONTAINERS, POWER OPERATED MEANS FORFORCING THE RESPECTIVE FLUID COATINGS THROUGH SAID SUPPLY PIPING, ASELECTOR VALVE IN SAID RETURN PIPING FOR SELECTIVELY CONNECTING SAIDTRAY TO SAID CON-